Storage device for coins and similar objects

ABSTRACT

Storage device or container for coins of any shape and size or similar objects, which allows e.g. coins irrespective of diameter, thickness and shape, to be stored rigidly and automatically centered. In such a storage container, the object is sealed so as to be fully visible without the risk of oxidation. This enables the coins to be moved without the need for manual contact. The container so designed in accordance with the invention as a unit together with the stored article contained therein on the container principle and can be joined and changed on the unit construction principle. The invention is a unit construction system comprising the structural elements which are the object of the invention, provided on the external narrow sides with matching transverse or longitudinal sections, consisting of two matching container parts and provided on the inside with counteracting flexible rods of a special design.

United States Patent [191 Bolanz Sept. 24, 1974 I STORAGE DEVICE FOR COINS AND SIMILAR OBJECTS 22 Filed: Nov. 29, 1971 21 Appl. No.: 202,863

3,448,850 6/1969 Segel et aI.

3,606,008 9/1971 Lusetti.....;.... 3,635,335 l/l972 Kramer 206/.82

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 236,851 11/1964 Austria 220/23.4 1,139,998 l1/1962 Germany 220/23.4

1,106,395 3/1968 Great Britain 206/.82

Primary ExaminerWilliam 1. Price Assistant Examiner-Steven E. Lipman Attorney, Agent, or FirmWats0n, Cole, Grindle &

Watson [5 7 ABSTRACT Storage device or container for coins of any shape and size or similar objects, which allows e.g. coins irrespective of diameter, thickness and shape, to be stored rigidly and automatically centered. In such a storage container, the object is sealed so as to be fully visible without the risk of oxidation. This enables the coins to be moved without the need for manual contact. The container so designed in accordance with the invention as a unit together with the stored article contained therein on the container principle and can be joined and changed on the unit construction principle. The invention is a unit construction system comprising the structural elements which are the object of the invention, provided on the external narrow sides with matching transverse or longitudinal sections, consisting of two matching container parts and provided on the inside with counteracting flexible rods of a special design.

3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures STORAGE DEVICE FOR COINS AND SIMILAR OBJECTS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a storage device or storage container for coins and similar objects.

Within the prior art, there are known a variety of storage methods for storing coins, the most widely used type consisting of coin pockets made of transparent PVC sheet into which the coins are inserted. This causes the substance of the soft PVC sheet to come into contact with the coin alloy, resulting in the formation of mold fungii or oxidation which are liable to destroy the coins. Moreover, with this method of storage the coin does not stay in its original position but as a result of the pages being turned it rotates in the course of time slowly about its centre. There also remains the problem which occurs of due to the different diameters of the coins.

There are also on the market what are known as coin sheets with punched circles of various diameters which can be broken out according to the size of the coin. In this case, too, the coins rotate because their diameters do not in many cases correspond exactly to those of the circles that can be broken out.

There are also cardboard frames with punched-out holes of various diameters in the centre and a sheet lying between the foldable cardboard. After the coin has been inserted the cardboard frame has to be folded and stapled in three places. Any subsequent removal of the coin damages the cardboard frame. Similar storage devices for coins always consist of punched-out materials into which the coins are inserted as a result of which they may either slide about or can be viewed from only one side or are exposed to chemical attack. All these storage means must additionally be inserted into a sheet in order to produce a whole page suitable for insertion into an album.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is the aim of the invention to eliminate all these disadvantages. According to the invention this is achieved by a flat, transparent container having two parts that can be pushed together and the container is fitted with a spring retaining device counteracting in a manner similar to that of thumb and finger. By virtue of its adjustability and due to the property of the material employed, this spring retaining device can be used for coins of any size and is so designed that the coin is always held rigidly and immovably in the centre of the container and surrounded and protected almost completely by a hollow space or air.

The transparent container which can be pushed together and which is fitted with the counter-spring and adjustable retaining rods, is preferably also provided with markings showing where the rods should be inserted for any given coin diameter. The two parts of the container are provided on the narrow external sides with transverse or longitudinal sections which enable the individual, complete storage containers to be slid or hung together, thus enabling completely joined-up sheets of any desired size to be produced which can be inserted into albums or also be formed into display areas of any format either lying flat or suspended, from which individual coins can be removed or reinserted.

Instead of being pushed into one another, the storage containers could conceivably also be designed differently, e.g. in the form of a small box, not shown in the drawings, with a hinged lid (similar to a flat cigarette box) with the counter-acting, spring retaining rods being inserted into the box. Instead of being rectangular or square, the shape of this storage container could conceivably also be designed in some other geometrical shape.

The invention is shown in the drawings as follows:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the outside of the container with the thin windows on the large outer faces and the sections along three narrow sides;

FIG. 2 shows the part to be slid into the portion shown in FIG. 1 with the inserted retaining rods for the coins (in two positions) and the section along one narrow side;

FIG. 3 shows the counteracting and sprung retaining rods thumb and finger; and

FIG. 4 shows a cross section along line A/AA-B/BB of the container pushed together in the service position, i.e. with a clamped coin.

FIG. 5 shows the same as FIG. 4 but with a smaller and thinner coin.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The outer container 1 is provided on one narrow side with a T-type section 2 and on one of the other narrow sides with a matching hollow section 3 which is provided for inserting the T section of a second coin container. On the third narrow side there is a further section 4 which acts as a matching section to the section 5 on the push-in part (FIG. 2) which can engage with each other. The purpose of all these sections 2, 3, 4 and 5 is to enable whole sheets or linked areas to be formed from several individual containers. The shapes which can be pushed into the appropriate sections, or fit into these, are provided with eyelets to allow whole sheets to be inserted into albums.

The outer part FIG. I has two engagement recesses 6 and 7 to permit engagement of the projections 8 at the top and bottom of the push-in part shown FIG. 2. In addition, the outer part, FIG. 1, is provided on the inner faces at the top and bottom of sides A and B with one or several grooves 9 for accommodating the counterparts (keys or edges) 10 shown in FIG. 2, which provide lateral stability. These grooves may also extend over the whole length of the side.

Both the outer part as well as the push-in part (FIGS. 1 and 2) of the storage container are provided with recesses or hollow portions 11 extending over the whole length and matched to each other, through which additional stabilizing rods or sealing cords or wires can be passed, which may be very important in cases where coins are sent on-approval terms. This facility for inserting rods or cords or wires may be provided either vertically from side A to B or horizontally from side C to D or in some other fashion.

The inner push-in part FIG. 2 is provided with rectangular or other shape apertures 13 on the supporting side 12 for receiving the interchangeable retaining rods 14 between which the coins are clamped, two difierent coins and corresponding rods 14 being illustrated in FIG. 2. On the supporting side 12 there are numbers 15 which indicate where the clamping or retaining rods 14 are to be inserted for any given coin diameter. The retaining device (clamping rods) could also be made adjustable by means of a slot in the supporting side to provide stepless sliding guidance for the clamping rods with a suitably ribbed reverse on the supporting face to offer protection against slipping. The clamping rods could also be rigidly connected to the supporting side 12.

The inner push-in part shown in FIG. 2 is fitted with a split block 16 for carrying an inscription. Paper or cardboard can be wedged into the centre of this block or some other clamping slot could be provided.

The clamping rods 14, which are counteracting like a thumb and finger and are resilient, are provided as shown in FIG. 3 with a tapered recess 17 running towards the centre and longitudinally which will always centrically hold any coin regardless of its thickness. The clamping or retaining rods may be provided with these longitudinally tapered recesses on one of the two sides and can be either straight or of some other shape in order to be able to accommodate one or several coins in one container.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate the retaining action of a large, thick coin 18 or a small, thin coin 19 respectively which are always retained only along a small part of the extreme edge of the coin 20.

All the features described above may be an essential part of the invention either individually or in any combination.

What I claim is:

l. A storage container for coins and the like, comprising an outer rectangular receptable and an inner rectangular coin container, said outer receptacle having a pair of opposing parallel side walls and an end wall interconnecting said side walls at one end thereof, means on the outer surfaces of each said walls and said end wall for engagement with cooperating means provided on like outer rectangular receptacles, said inner container having a pair of opposing parallel side walls and an end wall interconnecting said container side walls at one end thereof, means on the outer surface of said container end wall for engagement with cooperating means provided on like inner rectangular containers or with the cooperating means on the like outer rectangular receptacles, a plurality of openings provided along the inner surface of said container end wall, a pair of spaced coin retaining rods engaged at one end thereof with a respective pair of said openings, said rods having recesses provided in surfaces thereof facing one another for retaining a coin or the like between said rods, and the outer surfaces of said container side walls lying along the respective inner surfaces of said receptacle side walls, whereby said container end wall forms the fourth side of said receptacle in the assembled condition of the storage container.

2. The storage container according to claim 1 wherein cooperating means are provided on said container side wall outer surfaces and on said receptacle side wall inner surfaces for retaining said container in place within said receptacle.

3. The storage container according to claim 1 wherein cooperating tongues and grooves are provided on said container side wall outer surfaces and on said receptacle side wall inner surfaces for stabilizing said container when in place within said receptacle. 

1. A storage container for coins and the like, comprising an outer rectangular receptable and an inner rectangular coin container, said outer receptacle having a pair of opposing parallel side walls and an end wall interconnecting said side walls at one end thereof, means on the outer surfaces of each said walls and said end wall for engagement with cooperating means provided on like outer rectangular receptacles, said inner container having a pair of opposing parallel side walls and an end wall interconnecting said container side walls at one end thereof, means on the outer surface of said container end wall for engagement with cooperating means provided on like inner rectangular containers or with the cooperating means on the like outer rectangular receptacles, a plurality of openings provided along the inner surface of said container end wall, a pair of spaced coin retaining rods engaged at one end thereof with a respective pair of said openings, said rods having recesses provided in surfaces thereof facing one another for retaining a coin or the like between said rods, and the outer surfaces of said container side walls lying along the respective inner surfaces of said receptacle side walls, whereby said container end wall forms the fourth side of said receptacle in the assembled condition of the storage container.
 2. The storage container according to claim 1 wherein cooperating means are provided on said container side wall outer surfaces and on said receptacle side wall inner surfaces for retaining said container in place within said receptacle.
 3. The storage container according to claim 1 wherein cooperating tongues and grooves are provided on said container side wall outer surfaces and on said receptacle side wall inner surfaces for stabilizing said container when in place within said receptacle. 